Main menu

Post navigation

Color and pattern…

We're working on a new book and I took a couple of photos last week to illustrate color, pattern, value, and contrast. I thought I'd share this with you.

When choosing fabric for a quilt, it's important to remember that it is a difference in value that makes one fabric stand apart from another. Imagine that you are making green 4-patches. If you made them from the four fabrics below, you would be wasting your time.

Why would it be a waste of your time to make 4-patches from the fabrics above? Because, while each green is a different shade and each pattern is different, these fabrics are essentially the same value. They run together.

If you want to make 4-patches with these fabrics you either need to add lighter fabrics, add darker fabrics, or add both to the original 4 fabrics.

Color is what pulls you into a quilt, but value and how you use it is what makes your design visible.

And and note… I'm not really home. I'm on vacation with my
daughter-in-law, Lorna, my granddaughter, Elanor, and her bff, Lola.
We are at Disney World and I expect that I am going to be too busy to
blog. I'll let you know more about the trip when I get back!